Killingly Historical Society adding flag holders to veterans' graves

The Killingly Historical Society continues to survey the town’s 72 cemeteries in an effort to ensure local veterans’ grave sites are properly displayed.

John Penney

The Killingly Historical Society continues to survey the town’s 72 cemeteries in an effort to ensure local veterans’ grave sites are properly displayed.

Last year, the society embarked on a survey and repair project as part of the group’s 40th anniversary. President Lynn LaBerge said about seven of the town’s larger cemeteries have been surveyed to determine the location of veteran burial sites. The next step is to place new flag holders on all of the service members’ graves, something that was needed after recent thefts.

“Several of those flag-holders, including one on my great-grandmother’s grave, were there last year and gone this year,” she said. “We think people were taking them for the brass and bronze. You’d think if someone was trying to sell a bunch of them somewhere, it would raise a red flag.”

The society recently purchased 400 plastic flag-holders that resemble metal. LaBerge said she’ll begin placing some of them this year, with the majority slated to be added in April. She said roughly 1,000 flag-holders will be needed for all the town’s buried veterans.

“The town gave us $2,500 last year, and we spent all but $6 on the holders,” LaBerge said. “There were 300 that were needed at the New Westfield Cemetery alone.”

Town Manager Bruce Benway said the Town Council this year again agreed to set aside $2,500 for the improvements to the town’s older cemeteries.

“I’ve been known to walk through some of cemeteries and I began to notice many of the veteran graves were either missing flag-holders or flags,” he said. “And, just at the Westfield Cemetery, there’s veterans buried from nine wars going back to the Revolutionary War.”

In order to identify the local veteran grave sites, the society used old state maps, local historical records and the help of volunteers, who walked the cemeteries and examined grave markers for veterans’ information. Local veterans groups were also contacted for help.

But the flag-holder project is just one part of an overall cemetery rehabilitation plan. Society members have also been noting the location of broken and damaged headstones in town.

“We don’t have the equipment here to address those issues,” LaBerge said. “So we’ve been talking to a company in Smithfield, R.I., about pricing. Some of the damage is due to weather and ground issues, but in other places, like the High Street Cemetery in Dayville, the area is used as a shortcut by kids.”

“I have a grandson serving in Afghanistan now as a medic,” said Flannery, 64. “And I think people tend to forget about these sorts of things. It’s been a labor of love and has really opened my eyes. It’s been humbling.”